The Press. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1897. THE CANTERBUBY. COLLEGE ELECTION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9737, 27 May 1897, Page 4

The Press. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1897. THE CANTERBUBY. COLLEGE ELECTION.

The speech of theHoni W. 0. Walker j at the: distribution of diplomas on ] Tuesday deserves to be read with attention by those who are called on to exercise the franchise by the new Canterbury College Bill. He himself is probably responsible for that Bill to a target degree than any other member of the Government or the House. He may therefore fairly be considered to speak with authority as to its objects and motives. "The present change had not come about through any fault of the Board, for they had carried out; their duties \) conscientiously and in. accordance with the aim of the ; founders of the College." This Ministerial opinion will, we believe, be cordially endorsed by everyone at all conversant with the history j of the institution. It was, therefore, very far from the intention of the framers of the Bill that it should con- j sign the old Board to oblivion. And the graduates, we are pleased to note; in making their choice of sis, have not thought it necessary to go outside the roll of the old Board. Some of the other constituencies, however, are having the doctrine assiduously dinned into them by canvassers and orators that the aim of the Bill was to sweep away the old Board/ to infuse new Wood and so forth. We fully expect, and shall gladly welcome, a . proportion of new members. There are, indeed, not enough of the old members willing to stand to constitute the whole of the new Board. We do not even go so far necessarily as to claim that past membership on the part of one candidate should give him an advantage over a new aspirant. But to speak aa though paat membership were a bar to his chances, a detraction from his future usefulness, is k> talk sheer nonsense. And yet that is just the sort of nonsense that is being busily talked both to the School Committtees and the schoolteachers. .' ' i V

\ Mc Waikbr went- on to say, "Much of the success of the College

had been due to the generosity and lack of self-seeking on the p&tt of the graduates. Only two or three of their own number had filled seats." This utterance also, we trust will be laid to heart. The schoolmasters have been strongly urged in some quarters to elect only members of their own body. Mr. Walker's name has been freely used as authority for the statement that the Government conferred the franchise upon the teachers in order that they might elect members of their own profession as educational experts. Mr. Walker's commendation of the graduates for using the franchise so sparingly, lor their own honour disposes effectively of this argument. The teachers have been entrusted with the selection of three members because of their intimate connection with the interests of education, and because, from their experience and education, they may be trusted to make a good choice. But it was never intended they should be confined in their choice to members of their own profession. The presence on the Board of a primary school teacher of ripe experience would, we think, be a distinct acquisition; the presence of a large number of such would render the work of the Board impossible, for its complex interests' make much greater demands on its members' time than a gentleman in such a position could possibly give it. We believe the inclusion of teachers as one eonstifcueucy may lead to valuable results; they are professionally in sympathy and in contact with the work of the different institutions; they are in a position to understand their requirements and their aims. And though we.regret to hear that some members of the profession are endeavouring to guide the election on very narrow and short-sighted principles, we have too much confidence in the solid commonsense of the great body of the teachers to believe they will be led by sach cries into exercising their new privilege in a way antagonistic to the best interests of ..education.